The King and His Men
by KingRabbit
Summary: They weren't Noah or Akuma. They weren't even human. But they took something precious to the Black Order. 3 years later they're back and Kanda is taken. When he finds out he has to fight and defeat the King will he be able to when he learns who it is?KxA
1. Prologue: Early Morning Goodbyes

The King and His Men

Prologue

Early Morning Good-Byes

The soft morning light filtered across the form tangled in the navy blue sheets. His snowy hair reflected the light and it gave him a bright halo as a result. He sighed in his sleep and shifted onto his side before he settled once more. Kanda watched with a blank expression, though the corner of his lips quirked ever so slightly. He stood and finished buttoning up his shirt before sliding his arms into the newest exorcist uniform. He bent and pulled his boots on, kicking the toes to make sure they were fitted right. He walked over to the bed and knelt down until his lips connected with Allen's temple.

The boy murmured something, stirring a bit and rolling onto his back. His silver eyes flickered before slowly opening. His winced as the morning light hit his unaccustomed orbs. He smiled warmly, softly up at his raven-haired lover, raising a hand and stroking his cheek.

"Good morning." Allen said groggily, his words a bit hoarse from screaming the night before.

"Hn." Was all Kanda replied with as he leaned in for another kiss, this time on the lips. Allen was eager to give it, still a bit asleep. He rolled back onto his side when they parted, yawning and settling back down. He shivered as Kanda traced the exposed skin of his hip where the twisted sheets didn't cover.

Kanda kissed his shoulder, his neck, working up to his ear. "I have to leave now."

"Hmm..." Allen murmured. "M'kay... Be safe..."

"Don't I get a proper good-bye?" Kanda asked, nuzzling into his hair.

Allen gave a weak protest, raising his hand to push him away but somehow he ended up pulling him closer.

"You got your good-bye last night..." He whined, burying his face in the pillow.

Kanda chuckled. "But I want another one right now..."

Allen turned and pouted at his lover, who just blinked at him. He sighed before pushing himself up on his elbow and twisting so he could kiss Kanda without actually turning his body.

"Happy?" He asked, a light blush spread across his cheeks.

"Not sure. Try again."

Allen grinned and kissed Kanda once more, this time with more force. When they finally parted, he wasn't the only one sporting a dark blush.

"Better?" Allen asked, quirking his eyebrow.

Kanda grinned. "Much."

With that he stood and fixed his clothes before grabbing Mugen and heading out the door.

"Be safe." Allen called. The slight lift of his finger on the door as he closed it was the only indication that he'd heard.

Allen just smiled and flopped back down. Unfortunately, now he couldn't go back to sleep but that was okay, he could deal with that. It was probably time to wake up anyway. Not to mention that if he waited any longer there would be a line in the cafeteria for food. He slowly untangled himself and stood, not at all caring that he was as naked as the day he was born. It was only him here now that Kanda was gone. He took his time in gathering his clothes, not at all in a rush despite the thought of having to wait for his food. His back ached but it was familiar and a pain he could deal with.

When he finally left Kanda's room, the sun was well into the sky and the cafeteria was abuzz with people getting their breakfast. He walked up to the table where Lavi and Lenalee sat, but before he could say anything, Lavi began yelling.

"You want proof? I'll show you proof!" With that the redhead stood and walked around Allen, slapping his ass as he did so.

Allen yelped and jumped before falling to his knees with tears in his eyes. He whimpered and began rubbing his lower back, trying to alleviate the pain.

"There's you proof." Lavi said, sitting back down with a huff and a grin that stretched across his face.

Lenalee was blushing and trying to wrap her head around it while Allen just glared bloody murder at the redhead.

"What the bloody hell was that for, you jackass?" He snapped, slowly getting to his feet.

"She didn't believe me when I said Yuu-chan got lucky last night." Lavi answered simply, shrugging.

Allen glared harder before walking away with a sigh. He, as he'd expected, had to wait in line. Luckily it was only five people, but his stomach thought those five people were in his way and began protesting. Loudly.

The people in front of him looked and laughed at the sight of him holding his stomach and blushing cutely. Many would probably have jumped him then and there had they not feared the wrath of the Order's resident samurai. And even if he wasn't here, there was still his very protective exorcist partners to get around. So instead they just offered for him to pass to the front.

"Not it's fine! I wouldn't want to keep you from your meals. Besides, I have to tame-"

Insert more very loud growling.

"Thanks..."

And with that, he moved up to the window and ordered his food. When it was prepared, Allen walked back to the table with his friends and gingerly sat down. He grimaced a bit but said nothing about it. Lavi did that for him. The redhead had his head down and was snickering and laughing into his arms, the sound muffled but still audible.

Allen really did feel like throwing something at him but the only thing within reach was his food and he'd hate to waste it. With that in mind, he began to dig in.

"So, tired from last night, Moyashi-chan? Is that why your late?" Lavi asked.

Allen didn't reply, just kept eating. The redhead continued to tease him but he didn't reply, preferring to ignore him completely.

And that was when it happened.

.

.

.

.

Kanda could feel the ground shake, could feel he raw power that saturated the air. There was the stench of blood, new and fresh as well as dried and old. He gagged and lifted his arm to cover his mouth and nose.

"What the-"

His words words cut off by the deafening explosion that sounded behind him. Eyes wide, he whipped around and stared at the castle that was the Black Order. Around him, people screamed and ran, some knocking into him but he paid them no mind.

"Sssshhhhhksssh...anda! Kanda!"

He blinked and looked at the black golem fluttering beside him.

"What the hell is going on?" Kanda yelled into the speaker, looking back at the castle.

"We're under attack! Return immediately!"

He was in a fast sprint the moment he'd heard "attack." He raced through the streets, dodging everyone who got in his way.

'Be alright... Be alright...'

The thought repeated itself over and over and over in his head.

'Please, for the love of God and all that is Holy in this tainted world, /be alright/!'

The fresh/dried blood stench grew the closer he got to the castle. After the length of time he'd run at top speed, his lungs cried for him to take a moment for air but instead of listening he only pushed himself harder.

Kanda burst through the doors and flew straight into... something.

"What the fuck?" He jumped up from where he'd toppled to the floor with whatever the hell it was and drew Mugen. He inspected his hand that had touch... Whatever it was. It was covered in a redish-colored sticky substance. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he wiped it on his coat and faced his opponent.

He almost lost his breakfast.

In front of him was a man who's skin was melted until it was all but stripped away. He gave a agonized moan and turned his head toward Kanda, his blue eyes glazed over from the pain.

He recognized those eyes.

"K-Kanda...! H-help...u-us..." He choked out before his eyes began to go blank and unseeing.

Panic flared trough him and he did his best to reign it in as he looked away from the man and gazed around. The place was a mess, filled with rubble from the destroyed walls and there were more bodies strewn around in the same condition.

He heard screams and cries of pain echo from down the hall, but one in particular caught his attention. He didn't stop to think as he took off at top speed toward the dining hall. As he rounded the final corner, Lavi was sent flying into him, knocking them both to the floor. When Kanda checked him, he was out cold. Pushing him to the side where he'd be safe and out of the way, he jumped up and continued running down the long stretch of hallway.

"Kanda!" He looked ahead to find Lenalee leaning against the cafeteria doors, her body bruised and cut, Innocence activated.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Kanda yelled, catching her as she stumbled toward him and fell.

"It happened so quickly, no one knew what was happening. We couldn't react in time." She explained in a tired voice.

"Where's the Moyashi?" He asked frantically.

She shook her head and his heart dropped from his chest and stopped beating.

"We got separated in all the chaos. The last I'd seen him was when he was fighting."

"Who?"

Again, she shook her head. "I don't know who they were. They weren't Noah or Akuma. They were human but they're weren't at the same time. I don't... I don't..."

She began to weep and Kanda could blame her. She grabbed his shirt and he looked at her. "Go find Allen. I've seen what these things do. They're vulnerable to the Innocence but if they touch your flesh then they'll melt your skin off."

She showed me her upper arm. It was an angry red and blistered. He held his breath at the sight of it.

"Go find Allen."

He nodded and set her against the wall where she could rest before taking off. The cafeteria was filled with bodies, the stench of blood and burnt flesh making him gag again. Darting passed it, he made his way to the stairs. He stopped when he got there and just listened. Screams and groans were the first thing he heard, but in the distance, he could faintly hear the sounds of more fighting. He took the stairs two at a time going down, letting his instincts guide him. When he almost reached the landing, he jumped over the railing and repeated. He kept going until he reached the bottom where Hevlaska's chamber was. The fight was just behind the doors and he threw them open, eyes widening at the sight before him. Komui was with Hevlaska and the High Generals as they quickly tried to evacuate the precious God Crystal.

Behind them was Krowly and... Allen! They fought the "human but not human" creatures Lenalee had told him about. He could see what she meant. They had humanoid bodies and looks but something about them was just... off. Kanda couldn't tell what it was exactly but he didn't pause to figure it out.

One of them was heading straight for Komui and them and it didn't seem like Allen or Krowly had noticed. He darted between the creature and it's targets, Mugen easily slicing through them. The room seemed to freeze and all eyes turned to him as the creature he'd just killed burst into a cloud of ash.

He frowned at it before nodding at Komui, who returned the gesture with a relieved smile. With that he jumped into the battle with his lover and Krowly. The creatures seemed to realize something or another and they all scattered into the shadows. When they were gone, the three exorcists stood in shocked silence as heavy footsteps began echoing around the room, coming from the direction the creatures had disappeared into.

They tensed and readied for what was next, whatever it may be. Kanda cast a quick glance over his Moyashi. He was bruised and cut like Lenalee, and part of his skin where it had been exposed was red, though not as badly burnt as the Chinese girl. He briefly met the whitette's silver eyes before turning back to the shadows.

His Allen was going to be alright.

Regardless, Kanda was pissed. Whatever these creatures were, they would pay for touching what was his. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The nerve of these... things for hurting his lover.

One foot became visible from the shadows. It was bare but large. The next foot joined it and soon the person - a very large man - stepped into the light. He was completely nude and had thick muscles that looked hard as steel. He had the same stench of blood as the creatures. He had heavy steps and as his face came into view, Kanda saw that he wore a glass mask. It was distort so he couldn't really see his face. His hair was a dark color but he couldn't tell of it was black or dark brown.

But it didn't matter. He was a threat, an enemy, that had to be eliminated.

It seemed the others were thinking the same as him as all three exorcists attacked at the same time.

Pain exploded though Kanda's body as he hit the wall. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but it had been faster than he could see. He slowly pushed himself up and shook his head, trying to get his bearings. The world spun and darkened. He must've gotten a concussion. He grit his teeth and stood on shaky legs. He looked around and quickly spotted Allen and Krowly. The former was pulling himself up while the latter was being tended to by Komui. It seemed that Hevlaska and the High Generals were gone now. He faced the naked man and his face twisted in a snarl before he managed to school himself into a composed state. If he lost it now then who knew what could happen. This guy was obviously strong - and fast. He'd blown them away with seemingly no visible movement.

His world was still spinning but he didn't miss Allen as he leapt forward and attacked the man with his Innocence. This time though, he did see the man move. It was still blindingly fast, but from this distance, not so much.

"Moyashi!" Kanda yelled in warning, his call alerting the whitette to the attack just in time to raise his arm in guard. He was sent back a few feet but was able to stay on his feet.

With his vision clearer now, Kanda shook off the last bit and tensed to join his lover in battle. But just before he could, a bright, soft blue glow filled the room, closely followed by Allen's screams. Lines for in a ten foot radius around the naked man in a spiderweb of electric energy. He wanted to help his Moyashi but he could get to him. More screams filled the air and he looked around frantically for a solution.

There.

The man was /just/ close enough to the wall to reach.

Kanda darted forward, pushing himself to put power into his steps. If he fucked this up...

No.

It would work.

Allen needed him so it would work.

The wall came closer and closer, and he pressed himself harder. Then his feet left the ground and he ran exactly five feet along the wall before he felt himself beginning to slip. The blue-electric-net-thing was right below him so it was now or never. He kicked off the wall and flipped to give himself momentum and balance, arching Mugen in the air before bringing it down across the man's back. It had the desired effect and the man cried out, the blue net disappearing. Allen collapsed and Kanda looked at the man, breathing hard.

He froze.

He had cut the man's back, for sure, but inside wasn't that of a human. Instead of blood and muscle, the man's body was filled with a writhing, swirling mass of what looked like thick, gooey sludge. The stench was foul, like something rotting with a sickly-sweet, rancid touch. It was enough to make a weaker man lose consciousness. Before his eyes, the gash began to heal, sliding closed like a seamless zipper.

"What-"

Before he could even finish speaking, the man whipped around and backhanded him into the wall.

Then there was only darkness.

Slowly, oh so fucking slowly, the light began returning to his world. His fingers twitched and he slowly dragged his hand beneath him to push himself up. Pain scorched through him with the movement but it was of no concern to him. He looked up, searching for Allen.

He found him with the man's hands around his neck, holding him a foot above the ground. Allen hung limply, not fighting. His eyes were closed and his head just rolled back. The man began laughing and said something but Kanda couldn't hear passed the ringing in his ears.

What looked like a black pool of ink appeared below him and he slowly began sinking into it - with Allen.

"Mo...yashi!" Kanda gasped out, standing and stumbling forward. Already he was up to his knees in the ink. He forced his curse to heal him faster and ran forward.

He arrived just as both disappeared. Without a second thought, Kanda thrust his hand into the ink - more like tar - and reached for his Moyashi. He felt him, felt his shirt. He grabbed it and pulled but the tar was too thick and the pool closed in the next second.

Kanda hissed and clutched his arm, staunching the blood. It didn't matter anymore though.

He was gone.

Moyashi was gone.

His arm had already begun growing back, but it didn't matter, his bean sprout was gone.

He sat in shock, staring at the spot where the pool had been. No. It couldn't be true.

"ALLEN!"


	2. 1: Meaningless Gestures and Empty Words

***sigh* I know, I know. In the Light of the Full Moon has yet to be updated... But what can I say? Star put up a good argument. Granted it was actually a bribe but that matters not. Enjoy this~**

**And thank you for everyone who reviewed. And for those that favorited without reviewing, did you know that if you clickety the review button, not only can you leave a word or two, but you can also favorite and alert it from there? Just saying...**

Chapter 1

Meaningless Gestures and Empty Words

_The air was thick and he was choking. No. Wait. There was no air. He couldn't open his eyes; it was just too hard. He couldn't move a muscle either. What...? With sudden pressure like being hit by a train, the world came alive again. But he still couldn't breathe. Right. The man's hand was still around his neck. But he was too tired to fight him off. Not that it mattered, he was released the next second. Where was Kanda? He remembered the shocks then Kanda moving then everything stopped. He remembered collapsing and looking up to see his lover with something akin to shock or alarm on his face. Then he was thrown into the wall and didn't get up. _

_Oh God! Please don't be dead! Yuu!_

_._

_._

_._

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

Kanda jolted from his sleep at the sound of knocking on his door. He was breathing heavy and sweating, his hair a mess. Looking toward the soft, rhythmic noise, it wasn't hard to guess who was there. He sighed and stood, swinging his legs over the bed after casting aside the blankets. The floor was icy on his feet but he didn't care. Grabbing a hair-tie of his desk as he passed it, Kanda swiftly put his hair up and unlocked the door. He didn't open it. This had become they're usual ritual every night for the last three years. Ever since...

_Allen... _

The door opened and Lenalee stepped inside, clad in her night clothes. When she closed it, she relocked it as well. As he laid back down, she followed, sliding in beside him and curling onto her side. She hasn't been sleeping again; he could tell. And it didn't take long for her to slip into her dreams. He hoped she had good dreams. Right now, Kanda hated dreams. They were all of Allen.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

He would rather not dream at all.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

Even in his waking life, his missing lover was all he could think about.

He looked passed the sleeping Chinese girl and stared at the red ribbon on the desk. It had long since lost Allen's scent, but... the fact that it was his...

He never once would have imagined himself to be the type to pine after a lover. After all, they had always told themselves and each other that either might not return from this damned Holy War one day, and that the other should always be prepared for that.

But...

How can you ever prepare to lose the person you loved.

No. Not _loved._ Love.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

He slowly slipped closer to the wall and down the bed, not wanting to wake Lenalee now that she was actually getting sleep. When his feet touched the floor, he stood and walked to the desk. The ribbon was a bit worse for wear; worn and beaten from how often he handled it. He sat in the wooden chair and put his elbows on the table as he played with the red strip.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

Goddam it. Why couldn't he do what everyone told him to and just get over him?

_Because you know he's not dead..._

But what if he was? Everyone had searched high and low for Allen and everyone else who had been taken that morning, but there was never a single hair to be found of them.

Yes. Others had been taken along with Allen. Finders, scientists, even two exorcists. They'd been new and Kanda hadn't even learned their names yet. Not that he bothered, but still.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

He just wanted to stop thinking about him, if only for a few seconds, even one. But that would be torture as well. To stop thinking of his bean sprout, to forget him, would be the greatest insult there was to him.

He tensed as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he blinked at Lenalee, who just smiled sadly at him. She knew the loss he felt. After all, she had lost her brother in that fight.

She leaned down and hugged him, just holding him, and he buried his face in her chest. It was admittedly one of his more vulnerable moments, but it was genuine.

_Allen... Allen... Allen..._

.

.

.

.

Dawn was breaking, the morning sun drifting lazily into the room through the open window. It was warm out, the perfect temperature. It was going to be a hot day.

Allen would have liked it.

Neither exorcist had slept the rest of the night, but at least they both had a few hours. By now, Lenalee was gone and Kanda was ready. With a deep breath, he straightened his spine and pushed his shoulders back. Setting his face in a blank expression, Kanda grabbed Mugen and walked out into the hall, locking the door behind him. Allen's ribbon was safely tucked into his inside breast pocket.

The hall was loud and noisy. The new ones chatted loudly, joyously, while the old still carried the scars of that loss. No one could forget except those that did not witness it.

"Hey there, Kanda." Said Jerry. It wasn't his usual cheer. After all, it was that day again. "What can I get you?"

"The usual." Was all he replied with. It was already waiting for him as the chef handed it to him a second later. He took his tray and sat in his usual spot near the window. The sky was bright. It was annoying how blue it was, how happy.

_Allen. Allen. Allen. _

He ate in silence as per usual. Eventually Lavi joined him but neither said anything. Lenalee came soon after but she didn't eat. She hardly ever ate these days. Kanda was surprised she was actually still standing. They all tried to hold themselves up, all wore masks so that the others couldn't see. But in a way, it was all so painfully obvious.

A loud clatter drew their attention and all three exorcists looked to find one of the newer ones standing on the table, telling some kind of story. It was annoying. He was annoying. His voice irritated Kanda as badly as sharp nails dragging slowly, agonizingly, across a chalkboard.

He still sported the bruise Kanda had given him after the kid had mistaken him for a girl. Like that wasn't already old at all.

He clucked his tongue and returned to his meal. The sound of laughter echoed around the dining hall as the kid continued to talk. He was worse than Lavi was three years ago.

Kanda kind of missed Lavi from three years ago. But the obviously fake cheer was, in a way, a testament to how much he actually cared, especially when he wasn't supposed to. Not that anyone, even Kanda, blamed him. Allen had that charm.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

"Hey!"

Kanda looked away from the window and to the new exorcist kid. He was much like his Allen in some ways. He was the same age as the whitette when he'd first joined the Order. He wasn't short like him though and didn't have any manners whatsoever. But he did have that same kindness in his pale hazel eyes. There was no naivety like Allen though, and that was one of the biggest differences. He didn't act without thinking, didn't help because he didn't know better. He didn't laugh because he was alive. When this brat smiled, it had the feel of a spoiled noble who had gotten what he'd wanted since birth.

He didn't grow up on the streets and learn how to survive before he learned what love was.

"What the fuck do you want, brat?" Kanda growled, narrowing his eyes into a glare.

"Why so hostile?" He asked.

Kanda didn't reply, just added ice to his gaze.

"Calm down. I was just wondering why everyone has such a long face? I get that there was something that happened a long time ago, but why is everyone all bummed about it? Seems kind of stupid to me, don't you think?"

Something in him snapped at the words. He didn't try to stop his body as it moved on it's own. In the blink of an eye, Kanda had his hand tight around the kid's neck, slamming him against the window. The glass cracked from the force.

The hall fell silent and he leaned forward, ignoring the little noble's struggles.

"Now listen closely, you fucking spoiled brat. The memorial today isn't for some that happened 'a long time go.' It's for something that happened three fucking years ago today. So fuck off before I kill you myself and add your name to the list of people that died fighting in this war. Not that you deserve to be listed with them. Even the finders are worth more than your sorry ass."

With that, he threw him to the side with enough force for him to hit his head on the cement floor. No one stopped him as he gathered his tray and dropped it off at the window to be washed. His steps were silent as he walked out the door.

The silence followed him and he walked down the first hall he came across. He wove around, no real destination. Regardless, somehow he ended up at a door he recognized very well. The lock was easy enough to pick but the door creaked from disuse. He stepped inside and almost immediately began choking on the dust. He closed the door behind him and walked to the window, his boots leaving prints on the floor. Throwing it open, he turned back to the room and all the stuff still in it. It'd been hard, but somehow there had been enough strings pulled for them to keep Allen's stuff and room the way it was.

_Allen. Allen. Allen. _

Kanda sighed and walked over to the bed. Stripping away the white sheet cover, he sent up a cloud of dust but ignored it as he flopped down on the bed. It still smelt like him; faintly, but like him nonetheless. He let his mind drift off and before long, he was sound asleep.

_Allen... Allen... Allen..._

It felt like seconds later when Lavi was shaking him awake. He blinked at the redhead before slowly sitting up. He didn't ask how he knew he was there. It was the same as last year as well as the entire month after the attack.

"It's time." Was all he said.

Kanda nodded and replaced the white cover sheet before following Lavi out. He locked the door behind him.

.

.

.

.

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

They had to stand in front. As exorcists, they were to "set an example" for everyone else. He stood with Lenalee to his left, Miranda to his right, Lavi three down from the latter and Marie between them. Everyone else was scattered on either side. Apparently he'd hospitalized the new kid.

_Welcome to the Black Order. Enjoy your fucking stay. _

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome. Thank you for joining is today." The Priest said, his voice echoing in the small chapel hall. "As I'm sure so many remember the tragedy that occurred in this very building three years ago. I know the pain has yet to fade..."

_Bullshit. You don't know anything. You weren't there. You don't know our pain._

_Allen, Allen, Allen..._

The Priest continued and Kanda could only feel anger. But what got to him the most was what the man said next.

"Now, could everyone please take a moment of silence for the brave souls that gave their lives on this day three years ago."

His Allen was NOT dead.

_Allen... Allen... Allen. _

The Priest droned on and on and after a while Kanda simply drowned him out. He didn't care much for the man's voice. It was too lively in his opinion. Wasn't this supposed to be a memorial? Kind of defeated the purpose if he was overly happy about it. Stupid bastard. If Kanda had a gun he'd probably shoot him and the ones like him. But eventually he'd run out of bullets. There were just too many of them in the world.

It was nightfall by the time the stupid thing had ended. Lavi walked with him until they're hallways split.

"Kanda?"

He paused and tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, just enough to show he was listening.

"Don't blame yourself."

With that the redhead walked away, leaving him in shocked silence. Slowly, a bitter smile formed on his face.

"If only that were possible." He said and continued down his own hall. There was a figure waiting outside his door when he got to it. Even in the darkness, he could easily make out the lithe form.

"What the fuck do you want, brat?" Kanda growled, making the boy jump.

He straightened himself out from where he was leaning against the wall and flattened out his unwrinkled clothes.

"I – well, I…"

"Speak or get the fuck away from here. Better yet. Just go away."

"Listen, I can't help but think that we started out on the wrong foot here. So I wanted to apologize." He said. Now that Kanda gave it some thought, he didn't even know the kid's name. Not that he cared. But wasn't it something like Paul or something?

"I don't give a damn about your apologies. So like I said, shrimp. Fuck off."

"I heard about him…"

His voice was barely a whisper but Kanda nonetheless heard him. And knew who he was talking about.

"And pray tell, what the fuck did you hear?" Kanda growled, balling his hands into fists.

"That he was one of the ones that were taken… That he was your lover and an exorcist…"

Kanda snorted and walked around the kid. "You don't know anything about him."

His hand was on the doorknob when the boy spoke again.

"What was his name?"

He hesitated but figured there was no harm. Maybe then the kid would leave him alone.

"Allen Walker."

"I see… I'm jealous of him."

Kanda cast a side-ways look at the boy with caramel-colored hair. "As I said, you don't know him. Why would you be jealous?"

The brat turned to face him with a sad smile. "Its not hard to miss how everyone who did know him really cared for him. Even you. I'm jealous that he won your affection and that I can't seem to figure out how or where to begin."

Kanda blinked at him before grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Did you think that this little mope-fest would win my favor? You know why I don't like you? Because your like him in so many ways but nothing alike at the same time. You could never meet his standards because you're just a spoiled little noble who shouldn't be here. So stay the fuck away from me from now on. Got it?"

He was surprised he said that, that he admitted it. Maybe he really hoped that he could scare the kid away. Or maybe he actually did remind him of Allen. And it hurt to think of Allen. But Allen was all he could think about.

_Allen, Allen, Allen._

The boy nodded slowly and Kanda shoved him away. But as he turned, a scent filled the air. It was one so revolting he could never forget, even if he tried. He turned just in time to see the boy get his face touched by the creature's hand.

Time slowed and he held his breath as the boy's scream shattered the silence. The building shook but he paid no mind to it as he drew Mugen and attacked without a second's hesitation.

If this… thing was here, then was the man that had taken his Allen?

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	3. 2: Traces of Black Ink and Blood part 1

**Heyas~! ^_^ So this one is not as long as the previous chapter but it's just for getting me from point A to point B. The next chapter might be short as well, but it will definitely be interesting. Its part 1 of two so expect the title to have its explanation next chapter. **

Chapter 2

Traces of Black Ink and Blood pt 1

_No. He have to calm down. Kanda's going to be fine. He's going to be fine... He's going to be fine..._

_Allen slowly opened his eyes now that he could. His throat hurt and he felt like his body was on fire. Groaning, he looked around. It was a cage of sorts, maybe a holding cell. But why was he there? Slowly sitting up, Allen took in his surroundings. Yeah. Definitely a holding cell. To his left and right were more cages, all filled with faces - some familiar, some not. He looked to his right before scrambling over to the bars. _

_"Komui! Komui, wake up!"_

_He was answered with silence._

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Kanda clucked his tongue as a splatter of the thing's inky insides landed on his cheek before it went up in a cloud of dust. He wiped it with his sleeve and turned to the kid exorcist, who was now on the ground with his hand on his face. He was crying and rocking, trying to lessen the pain.

How many times now has he said it? This boy wasn't meant to be in this war, or any other for that matter.

"Tch." With a growl, Kanda bent down and pulled the kid's hand away from his face so he could inspect it. The skin was red and there were welts forming a handprint on the left side. His eye was sealed shut and would probably never open again. And even if it did, Kanda doubted the eye would ever work again.

He could feel the castle give a heave as the events of three years ago seemingly repeated. But this time would be different.

"Unlucky brat. Stay hear and out of the way. Don't touch it, you'll just get an infection." Kanda snapped, pushing the boy out of the hall and into his room. He closed the door and took off down the hall, following the screams and shouts. He could hear fighting and knew the exorcists had jumped into action. And if they were feeling anything like he was, they were fighting with every intent of getting revenge.

He slipped passed most of the fighting; they would be fine. Everyone now knew that they were vulnerable to the Innocence. It was their one advantage and, just like with the Akuma, it was one they would use mercilessly. He looked around wildly, hoping to find his target. But so far, nothing. So he kept searching, killing any of the creatures that got in his way.

Kanda continued to search until he was stopped by one of the creatures that was larger than the others. This one, like all the others, had skin the gray-black color you get when you put a paper into the shade on a sunny day. His hair was heaped on his head; a bright blondish color that looked as of someone had shocked it. Its face was blank, smooth with darker shadows for where his eyes would be. He was slightly transparent, something he only now noticed them to be. Something else covered it's body though. It was almost like a suit; he couldn't tell. Regardless, Kanda was going to kill him.

Mugen, having already been drawn, arched through the air as Kanda leapt forward. The creature danced out of the way before moving in for his own attack. It was fast and he hardly had time to dodge. Side-stepping, Kanda spun as it skidded passed him, bringing Mugen down on it's back. It screamed - a very human, very familiar scream. It made his stomach give a painful lurch that almost made him lose what little bit of soba he'd consumed that morning.

Kanda narrowed his eyes at it as the creature turned to face him. It wasn't hard to see how pissed off it was.

"Come and get me, fucker." He growled, sliding his feet apart as he fell into a defensive stance.

The thing growled at him before running headlong at him. Kanda, having expected this tried to move out of the way. But the creature threw out it's arms at the last second, catching him around the waist and sending them both flying across the floor. There was the clank of metal as Mugen struck the ground before sliding out of reach. The creature then got to it's knees so it straddled him and grabbed his collar before he could get himself up. It pulled him up and he struck, driving the heel up his hand into the shadows where it's eye was.

Kanda was pretty sure it hurt him more than the creature. Although it looked like his hand would just fall through it, the creature was actually as hard as steel.

Pain shot through his arm and he grit his teeth against it, knowing he likely broke his wrist or something else in his arm. The thing gave a gurgled laugh and it pissed Kanda off. He tried to roll them to the side but the thing held them in place. Clucking his tongue, he kicked it in the back of the head, making it roll forward. He continued it's momentum by grabbing it's hair and pulling, sending him over his shoulder. With the pain in his wrist already fading, Kanda sat up and jumped to his feet before looking around for Mugen. It lay ten feet to his left and he dove for it just as the creature got to it's feet and tackled him. His fingertips brushed Mugen's hilt and he whipped around, punching the thing as hard as he could in the face with the limited room he had. He felt his skin give and felt the warm liquid run between his clenched fingers. He kicked the thing in the stomach, using it's solid stature to boost him just enough to grab his sword before he brought it down across it's chest.

The black ink substance spurted from the slash, coating him, and it screamed again. He kicked it in the wound, pushing it completely off him. He jumped to his feet and set Mugen above him, muscles tensed to bring the sword down and finish this fight so he could get on with his search.

Just as he was about to bring it down, the creatures face split into a grin. A wide, white cat-like grin settled onto it's physiognomy.

"Does the name 'Allen Walker' sound familiar to you, Yuu Kanda?"

He froze. Allen?

The creature took this as it's opportunity to escape, slamming him into the opposite wall. His vision flickered and his head rolled for a moment. Pain flared in his neck and he snapped his head up to find the creature biting him. It was anything more than that but it hurt like fucking hell. He pulled his arm from where it had been smashed into the wall and pushed the creature away. It stumbled before making that freaky ass grin again and taking off down the hall.

Kanda growled and pulled himself from the indent he'd made in the wall. He picked up Mugen from where it had fallen to the floor and ran after it. He vision flickered again and he stumbled but didn't stop.

It knew his name. Fine, he could deal with that.

But it knew Allen's name as well. And it asked him about him.

He chased it into the cafeteria, where Lavi was fighting. When it burst through the doors, he was only a second behind it. There was one of the inky pools again, this time mounted on the wall. But this one seemed more... liquid-like. He cast the thought aside and continued after the creature. It was heading straight for it and he knew if it slipped through he'd lose his only lead on his Moyashi's whereabouts.

He knew the sprout was alive. Now he just had to find him. Just before the creature got to it, Kanda let Mugen cut it. It was easier than slicing through partially melted butter. It went up in a cloud of dust and he was left standing there in front of the ink pool. Now what? Should he go through it? But what was on the other side? What if Allen wasn't there...?

What if he was and he couldn't find him?

Steeling his thoughts, Kanda stepped forward. His foot easily slipped through it, easier than with the tar-like substance from three years ago.

"Yuu! What the hell are you doing?" Lavi yelled.

Kanda looked over his shoulder and scowled at him but didn't stop walking. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

With that, he slipped completely into the ink.

He felt like he was suffocating. It was impossible to breathe but he didn't turn back. The ink got into his eyes and he clenched them shut, though that didn't stop the painful stinging. It was almost a full minute before he stumbled out the other side. He heard murmurs around him and froze, blinking the ink from his eyes as he drew Mugen. To his left he could hear the air whistle and brought the sword up to meet the oncoming object. The heavy weight almost made him fall back but he stood his ground, grimacing as he held it off. Still blinking the ink from his eyes, Kanda pushed back with all his strength, rewarded with his attacker stumbling back. Finally, the ink was gone but his vision was still blurred and he could barely make out the shapes of the creatures around him. They looked different now. And he wasn't saying that because he could barely see them. He could tell that they looked exactly like a regular human, no more shadowy skin.

Then he saw white. His heart stopped as he tried to focus his sight. The white hair... could it be...?

He wasn't going to find out. As he tried to see, he let his guard down, giving them perfect opportunity to strike him down. And that's what they did.

He felt the impact on the back of his head and crumpled to the ground. But just before he was out completely, he heard one of them ask what they were to do with him.

There was silence.

"Put him in the ring."

Then there was only darkness.

_Allen...?_

**So tell me what you think. Can anyone think of what might happen next~? Try to guess. In other words: _Review. (_Really though, I want you guys to tell what your guess is)**_  
><em>


	4. 3: Traces of Black Ink and Blood part 2

**I know that this chapter is even shorter than the last one, but I king of forgot the idea I had for it. But something interesting happens so, yeah. I think that makes up for it. Anyway, thank star-chan because... of many different things. Both the lateness of the chapter as well as me actually getting it done. **

The King and His Men

Chapter 3  
>Traces of Black Ink and Blood pt 2<p>

_"Komui! Komui!" Allen cried, his voice getting more and more desperate. He tried to reach him through the bars but he was too far away._

_Slowly, the man began to stir. He yawned and rolled over, the white coat he'd been using as a blanket slip off him. Komui slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and blinking away the sleep. Did he think he was on vacation?_

_When he looked at Allen, his eyes when wide and he tripped over himself trying to get to the bars. He hugged him through the bars, pulling him tight against the metal._

_"Allen, you're finally awake! Thank God! I thought you were in a coma or something!" He said, the relief evident in his words._

_Allen hugged him back, letting himself calm slightly._

_"How long was I asleep?" He asked._

_Komui tensed and leaned away, a frown on his face. "Three days. You didn't even move. I don't even think you were breathing."_

_Allen just looked at him. "...where are we...?"_

_Komui seemed to age before his eyes. "Not anywhere that I'm familiar with."_

_Allen could tell the hidden meaning behind his words. Komui knew a world map by heart. This was somewhere else entirely._

_"...Komui... Do you know what happened to...?"_

_He wouldn't meet his eyes and Allen felt like his heart shattered into a million and three pieces._

_"While you were being taken, Kanda had tried to rescue you. I don't know what happened after that."_

_Allen could tell he was lying, or at least, holding something back, but he ignored it. He focused instead on how Kanda was alive. He was alive... And he had tried to rescue him._

_He turned back to Komui before looking around. "I'm going to get us out of here. Just wait, we'll get back."_

_If only he could believe his own words._

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.

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Kanda groaned, his body felt like lead. He slowly blinked his eyes open but found they were still just as blurred as they were when he first got through the ink pool. He felt like he was forgetting something though. Was there something that'd happened after he got through? He remembered fighting and then seeing... something. What was it?

He blinked more but his vision didn't get any better. He could barely see. He growled and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down.

"Stay still before you hurt yourself worse than you are."

He froze and could feel his eyes go wide.

"K-Komui?" He asked, hating how his voice caught.

"Who else?" He sounded tired and worn out.

Kanda didn't say anything or let it show, but he was a bit relieved. He had no doubt Lenalee would be as well.

But if he was still alive, then...

He opened his mouth to speak but Komui cut him off.

"I don't know what happened to anyone, or Allen. They kept me because I'm a scientist and know a thing or two from the matron."

His heart fell and he sighed, some of his despair and frustration showing in it. He felt Komui touch his shoulder and looked at his blurred figure. He could tell the man was smiling.

He could also tell it was completely fake.

"Hey, just because I don't know doesn't mean Allen isn't alive as well. And I know you don't care about the others, but I think that there's a chance that-"

"Komui, who are you trying to lie to? Me or yourself?" Kanda asked, looking hard at him. He could see just enough to watch the man's face fall.

"Sorry."

"The truth now."

Komui sighed dejectedly, plopping down on a chair that was beside the bed he was on.

"I was his mentor. I don't know what went on in the ring, what he saw or what he had to do. All I know is that when he came out, he was haunted and covered in blood. And there was always one less contestant."

"So...? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kanda growled, a cold dread climbing up his spine.

"Even to this day I don't know for sure, but I think it's some type of battle royale. I can't say for sure."

A battle royale. Well... Shit.

"And he always came out?" Kanda asked, his voice low.

Komui didn't answer and he glared at him, pinning him to the spot. He could hear him shift and fidget but still he didn't give.

Even though it hurt to reach out, Kanda grabbed his collar and pulled him close.

"Did. He. Come. Out?" He growled, holding him tight.

He knew he wasn't looking at him, but he finally sighed in defeat.

"Allen made it to the last round. I didn't see him after that."

"You're lying again."

Komui said nothing else and Kanda knew he wasn't going to get anything more out of him. He shoved him away, fighting back a groan. Why the hell did his body hurt if he had gotten hit in the head? He asked Komui as much.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Your body is fine, but this seems to be an internal injury. But even then, it doesn't make sense. How is your lotus?"

Kanda frowned. "Fine."

"Interesting. And when I'd run a blood test, your results came back fine. Well, aside from this."

"Aside from what?"

He heard Komui flipping through pictures and he hummed in thought. Kanda clucked his tongue as he waited almost impatiently for the man to speak.

Finally, after a few minutes he sucked in air. Kanda didn't take it as a good sign.

"So that's what it is. Interesting..." Komui said, humming again.

"What's 'interesting.'" Kanda asked, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. He was almost tempted to sit up, but if moving his arm hurt the way it did, he wasn't too eager to see the results of moving his whole body.

"You have ink in your bloodstream. Quite a bit of it too. But how did it get there...? Did you receive any injury before you came here? Maybe have an open wound when you were dragged through?"

Kanda from, thinking back. "Hn. One of the little bastards bit me."

Komui dropped the clipboard. "What do you mean 'bit'?"

"How else would I mean it?"

Komui began pacing. "This is bad."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that, even if you ever have the chance, there isn't any returning to the Order for you."

"...what?"

Komui stilled and Kanda could tell just how serious he was being. "It means that, no matter what, you can't leave here."

**So what'd you think? In other words, review.**


	5. 4: Beginning of the Rest of Your Life

**Yo! How is everyone doing~? So listen, sorry I haven't been updating a lot lately. If you have read When a Butterfly Flaps Its Wings and Lessons, then you can see how long they are. Both were written within only a few weeks so they're very time consuming. And no one has even seen the rest of my list of half-written stories. But finally I was struck with inspiration for both this and In the Light of the Full Moon, so expect an update for that one soon as well. Ironically the ideas came while car-shopping. We have a truck now! Kind of miss my van though...**

**PS: I didn't feel like editing, so... yeah... you might find a few spelling mistakes. maybe. I don't know...**

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><p>The King and His Men<p>

Chapter 4:

The Beginning of the Rest of Your Life

_It had been three, maybe four, days since Allen made his promise. No one came and no one went. The cells were quiet, no one felt like talking. The air was cold, damp, and the dim red lighting hurt their eyes. _

_He recognized many of the faces as more than half belonged to finders he's worked with or had seen around the Black Order. But there were others as well. Men, women, and children from around the world. They were all scared and even the children were silent. Hushed conversations consisting of two or three words was all that was said throughout the days. _

_Allen himself said nothing, too weak from hunger to say a word. He just leaned against the bars separating him and Komui. They stayed close to each other, trying to stay warm in the damp cold. Occasionally, the older man would wander over to the bars that ran alongside the walkway and whisper across to the finders, but Allen stayed where he was. His casual clothing wasn't even close to being thick enough to keep him minutely warm. He slowly developed a fever, even with Komui's jacket wrapped tightly around him. One of the finders had a small bottle of aspirin on them, but without water or food, Allen couldn't keep it down. _

_It was a week after he'd made his promise and Allen was barely conscious. He knew that five people had died and there weren't many far from it, including himself. Komui did his best to keep him warm and awake, but it was quickly becoming evident that he needed actual treatment, and soon. _

_When the steal door creaked open, it echoed throughout the prison. _

_Allen jerked into a slightly more alert state as footsteps began leading down the walkway. He stared through heavy eyes as two men stopped in front of his cell and unlocked the door. He pulled enough strength up to glare at them before they began reaching for him. He could hear Komui say something, yelling, but he couldn't understand it despite him being right next to his ear. When one of them was close enough, he kicked out, nailing one of them in the face. He gave a satisfied smirk as a crunching sound filled the air, followed by cries of pain. The other man kicked him hard in the side. He felt his ribs crack and screamed, rolling into a fetal position to protect his vulnerable, aching side. Hands grabbed his upper arms and began dragging him. He thrashed around at first, trying to get free, but soon learned it wasn't a good idea with his ribs in their new condition. He whimpered as they got into the hall. He still had Komui's jacket on and felt bad that it was getting dirty now. _

_With his mind so disoriented from his fever and the pain, he couldn't tell where they were. They dragged his limp form down a winding area. He vaguely realized that it was warmer now, and there was bright light. It hurt his eyes and made his pounding headache worse that it already was. _

_"Y-Yuu..." He whimpered, suddenly craving his lover's touch with a new urgency. He was scared, vulnerable and now completely alone. The path they led him on was winding and he couldn't get his bearings. It made him dizzier and dizzier, and soon he felt like he was going to throw up the bile that had been trying to crawl it's way up his throat for days now. _

_He heard doors slam open before he was dropped none-too-gently onto a cold, marble floor. Allen vaguely noted that it were white with ash-gray spider-veins webbing across it. _

_He heard talking and tried to raise his pounding head. _

_The man was there. The same one who had brought him here. He was wearing dark clothes, black that looked like a mixture that sat somewhere between a japanese kimono, European armor, and something royalty out of one of the books Lenalee had loaned to him would wear. Now that he wasn't completely covered in dark shadows, Allen could see that he had hair like starlight, such a pale yellow that it was only a few shades or less different from his own. His eyes were green, cold and cruel. He was still burly and bulky, body pushed to the limit on how big muscles could get. On his head sat a crown that seemed too small for him. It was black and studded with onyx and smoke-colored diamonds. He vaguely decided the color suited Kanda, but quickly dismissed the thought. Now wasn't the time for that. _

_He met the man's eyes and shrunk back, and looked away. The man chuckled mockingly. _

_"What's wrong little exorcist? Scared?" His voice was thick with an accent Allen couldn't place. _

_"Not at all." Allen rasped through his his fever, pushing the words out of his dry and cracked throat. _

_The man raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is that so? Well, we'll have to see if we can fix that."_

_Dread crawled up Allen's spine and he swallowed hard. _

_"Why am I here? And Komui and everyone else as well." He asked, breathing hard. He tried to push himself up but was too weak and just kept watching him with tired eyes. _

_"Entertainment."_

_Anger flared through him, burning away the dread and the fear and lending him just enough strength to muster a glare that would make Kanda admit he was proud of. _

_"People's lives are not toys!" He snapped in a hoarse voice. _

_The man laughed again before turning away, walking to a table overflowing with food. Allen tried to ignore it but he couldn't help as his eyes flickered to a dark, ruby colored apple. _

_He sat at the table before flicking his wrist in Allen direction. Moments later, he felt himself being lifted and dragged to the table. He was dropped down onto a chair and he fell forward, hitting his ribs against the table. He cried out and wrapped his arms around himself, rocking until the pain finally eased to be more bearable. _

_"Hungry?" The man asked as if he hadn't just spent the past few minutes trying to ignore the pain. _

_Allen glared murderously, trying to ignore the food separating him and the man. It was hard and his eyes kept drifting down before he realized and snapped them back up. _

_"Now, now, exorcist, you need to eat. How are you going to break your fever and feed your Innocence?"_

_Allen froze, his eyes going wide. "How do you know about that?"_

_The man just gestured to the food once more and Allen finally gave in, reaching blindly and shoveling down his food. The man just watched with uncaring eyes as he ate his own food. _

_He ate to the point of being sick but didn't stop. He was so hungry and he couldn't seem to sate the feeling. He figured his Innocence was taking most of it and felt a minuscule bit of strength returning._

_"Your friend there, Komui, is he a doctor?" The man asked. _

_Allen hesitated. Say yes and Komui might be killed so he can't fix anyone. But then again, he was in a cage and couldn't help anyone in there. _

_But say no and he might be killed. _

_Allen nodded, pretending (not so much) to be wary. "Yes."_

_The man looked to the side of Allen and nodded to who he assumed was one of the guards. He heard the door open and close before silence reigned over the room once more. _

_Allen watched him carefully, fighting the urge to throw up the food he'd just eaten. His eyes were still set in a glare and his breathing was shallow, trying not to put pressure on his ribs. _

_"You know, you're my favorite, Allen." The man said after a while. _

_"How do you know my name?" Allen asked, eyes narrowing. _

_The man grinned. "I've been watching the Order for a while. How do you think Kanda is doing after losing his arm trying to rescue you?"_

_Allen could see only red as he jumped onto the table, not even feeling the pain in his side as he lunged, picking up a steak knife at the same time. The man just laughed as Allen brought the knife down on him._

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><p>.<p>

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Kanda quickly lost track of the days. His wounds finally healed though it took a while for his eyes to clear. Komui finally let him stand and he immediately began exercising. The last thing he needed was to have his body be weak when he needed it. The supervisor refused to let him out of the room he was in, going as far as locking the door when he left.

And Kanda was no idiot. He knew Komui was hiding something. He could tell with the way he would change the subject or even blatantly refuse to answer. He would curse under his breath and not meet his eyes as he packed several small bottles of herbs. He would mumble things like "he needs proper treatment and medicine," and "I can't work under these conditions, he needs to get out before he kills himself."

Kanda didn't ask who he was talking about, believing Komui would tell him if it had anything to do with Allen.

And Allen...

He remembered what he had seen when he had stepped out of the pool. White hair. And a voice so much like Allen's. But it was different, more mature. Then again, it had been three years, so maybe Allen had gotten older.

So why hasn't Komui?

When Kanda's eyes had cleared completely, he had just stated at the man for what felt like one hour or more. He hadn't aged a day.

"I'm still getting older," He had explained to the stunned exorcist. "But you can't see it. I can feel my body aging, but my appearance stays the same."

Kanda had opened his mouth but let the question die on his tongue. It wasn't his place to question.

Whatever the case had been, he wanted to know who the boy had been.

He had gotten his wish three days later.

The door opened but Kanda could not see who it was. His view was blocked off by a white curtain. He was leaning against the wall, sitting on his bed and reading a book.

"What are you doing here?" He heard Komui ask, panic and a bit of agitation in his voice.

Kanda stopped reading, eyes watching the shadows on the curtain. He quietly closed the book, sliding to the edge of the bed and standing.

"How is our guest?" The visitor asked.

Kanda stepped forward, yanking the curtain aside.

White hair... Short... Pale, pristine skin...

Cold, green eyes.

It wasn't him.

Kanda wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed. This boy, roughly the age Allen would be if he aged three years. But instead of the welcoming aura that Allen gave off, this kid had coldness and hatred, cruelty instead of kindness. He held no emotion in his eyes and no soul or heart in his features. He wore black robes one might find on knights in ye' fucking olden days.

But Kanda ignored everything else after that. It wasn't his Allen and that was all he cared about.

The boy (man?) turned to Kanda and smirked, eyes narrowing in interest.

"He's doing just fine, I see." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuu Kanda."

Kanda ignored the hand and glared at him. "It's just Kanda."

The boy-man hybrid looked confused and a bit angered. "But is it not your name?"

"My preferences are none of your concern, kid." Kanda replied in a clipped tone.

The boy-man (boy, he decided) narrowed his eyes and withdrew his hand, a dangerous edge creeping into his gaze. Kanda ignored it, though he kept in mind that it was there.

"Is that so?" He asked, hand curling into a loose fist.

Kanda raised an eyebrow. "Are you deaf?"

"Alright, that's enough now." Komui said, intervening. "This is a hospital. If you need a fight there are plenty of prisoners."

Kanda looked at him, eyes and face carefully blank. _'So this place can change a man so much as to the point where he can sacrifice the innocent, huh? How sad.'_

"Aw, but you know my dearest little twin banned the harming of our _'guests'_ before the time came." The boy whined, a mock pout twisting his features. Kanda had to resist the very strong urge to break his face.

"Then go somewhere else to play." Komui growled, his voice dead serious.

The boy just smirked and saluted him before turning his attention back to Kanda.

"Oh, that reminds me, our beloved king likes your sword. He says he might give you the chance to win it back. All you have to do is get to the semi-finals." He smiled sweetly and Kanda felt like throwing up. "Heh, but I doubt you'll make it that far. Get better soon."

With that he turned and walked to the door, the sweet smile falling from his face a he went. Before he left the room, he looked over his shoulder to Komui.

"Our beloved king wants to see you after dinner. Until then," He turned to Kanda, "get him prepped for tomorrow."

Then he was gone.

"Tch. Brat." Kanda growled returning to reading.

Komui hummed. "You're a lot more... mellow than before."

Kanda snorted at him as he settled onto the bed and opened the book to where he had stopped. "'Mellow'? Don't get your hopes up. Besides," He said, eyes lifting off his page to stare at the older man, "you're a bit different yourself."

Komui winced, as if the words were a physical kick to the stomach. "This place depends on the king to have a strong mind, something ours doesn't have. And it's not like he can hurt them, not without angering the last person he wants to mess with."

"Or is it so bad that in this place that it'd be better for them to die before this begins?"

Komui didn't answer. Instead, he began gathering supplies.

"When you get in the ring tomorrow, be ready for anything. You can be fighting the trainees that live here or one of the prisoners. Even someone from the Order. Though something tells me you're not too concerned about that."

Kanda snorted again, eyes falling back to his page.

"...they're going to make you stain Mugen with innocent blood."

His gaze returned to Komui, an almost _insane_ look in his eyes.

"Then let them. I've stained my sword with Allen's blood in the past, what's a few more strangers to go with it?"

Komui just watched him with guarded eyes before sighing and returning to his work. Kanda smirked before returning to his book.

At least it wasn't Allen.

But now came the question of where Allen was.

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><p><strong>Alrighty then, you know the drill. You parked the car, now you have to feed the meter. In other words review. The button right below here... you know he likes it... who are you to deny his pleasure? press it... you know you want to... come one... clickety-click! XD yeah i just had some hot chocolate. MOYASHI PLAY MY VICTIM! no. I take that back. Love you, moyashi! *falls over passed out*<strong>


	6. Important!

_**Important So Please Read!**_

Good evening everyone, morning to some. I know everyone was probably thinking that this was an update and I'm terribly sorry for disappointing you, but it's very important that you read this.

As some of you may have heard, ff(dot)net is mass deleting stories that have any mature content in them. As I'm sure you may have noticed, I enjoy not only reading, but writing lemons and am very passionate about them and can tell you a good one from a bad one in a heartbeat. But the point is I have them in a few of my stories. So I really don't know if my account is even going to survive. But anyway, I do have them on a USB so I'm not concerned about losing them. However, as there are many multi-chapter stories on here, I will be reposting them elsewhere. I know it's a great inconvenience for everyone and I can and will understand if you do not continue to follow them.

But if you will, then here are links to other sites that I am on, just get rid of the spaces.

My DeviantArt account:

king-autumn. deviantart. com

My LiveJournal account:

king-autumn13. livejournal. com

So as soon as I stop wrestling with the two of them, I should have everything up on both accounts. You can follow me on deviantArt but I request that you at least review on my LJ account before you friend me. And at request, I will return the "friending".

An important friend of mine is also doing the same. You might know her as Starisia the Shadow Demon. She has already backed hers up on other sites such as deviantArt ( starisia. deviantart. com and just get rid of the spaces)

….Did you know I once made a facebook account for my writing? Yeah I have no idea what was going through my head… I think it's still there too…

Anyway, so the point of this all is to just let you know and to warn anyone who has lemons on here to back them up somewhere.

Thanks for your time!

Ever the happy (and a little odd) bunny,

KingRabbit


	7. 5: Reason to Fight

**Hello everyone, long time no see. Yeah, sorry about that. I've been busy. And when I'm not busy, I'm lazy. When I'm neither, I'm either on Tumblr or drawing in permanent marker. Yeah. Anyway, here is chapter five. Hehe would you believe me if I said that I was listening to Avenue Q while writing this? Anyway, enjoy! See you at the bottom!**

The King and His Men

Chapter 5:

Reason to Fight Beyond Madness

_Pain exploded in Allen's side and arm as the man took hold of his wrist, squeezing to the point that he heard the bone snap. He then quickly struck his ribs with a hard jab. The whitette screamed and felt his body give out, forcing his to the table and then floor in turn. The man held his wrist, making it twist more. When Allen finally curled up on the floor, he released him. The exorcist curled tighter, whimpering and sobbing and his eyes clenching shut. His fevered mind tried to shy away from the pain but it was too much. It was everywhere. His ribs burned and protested any and all movement, including him breathing. His right wrist bent awkwardly and he vaguely decided that it would need to be set right. _

_All his mind registered from that was that it meant more pain._

_He heard a loud noise then several more muted ones but couldn't figure out what they were passed the pain. Then came, "...len!"_

_He heard more muted noises coming toward his at a rapid pace. He curled tighter, only to cry out in pain as his ribs **screamed** their protest. Warm, secure arms pulled at him and he didn't bother resisting. Opening his eyes, Allen slowly made out the familiar shape of Komui, who continuously switched between giving him worried and concerned looks before jumping to glare bloody murder at the man currently eating his meal calmly, as if nothing was amiss._

_"Stay awake, Allen." Komui said in an urgent voice. He gave him a quick, firm shake to keep him up. Allen blinked open his eyes that he hadn't realized were closing and stared with an unfocused gaze at the Chief. He rested his head against the crook of his arm and stared into the distance with pain-glossed eyes. _

_"The boy tells me you're a doctor." The man said, making Allen jump. He gasped as the movement irritated his side and released another whimper. "Congratulations, he just saved your life."_

_"What about the others?" Komui asked in turn, a deadly serious tone in his voice. Allen had only heard it on a few occasions, but it still sent chills down his spine as he waited with baited breath for the man to snap completely._

_"Their suffering will end shortly. We are simply weeding out the weak and unworthy." Allen felt cold eyes burrow into his head. "Suggest you tend to him. Otherwise he'll be just like the others. And we wouldn't want to waste such potential."_

_Komui didn't reply and Allen didn't care. Slowly, painfully, his vision faded to darkness._

_He wasn't graced with sleep for very long, maybe a few hours at the most. He and Komui were moved back into the dungeon-like place, this time in the same cell. Allen's wrist was wrapped in a stiff bandage, nothing close to what he needed, but it was enough to keep him from moving it too, too much. With food now in his system, he could feel the strength once more flowing through his limbs. The cross that symbolized his Innocence had taken on a more vibrant appearance, having seemed to dim during the week. He still had his fever, but that too was diminishing some. He no longer had the constant need to throw up, so that was a plus._

_But him mind was another matter. While his body seemed to be healing itself, his thoughts were plagued with images of his beloved. _

'_**Kanda had lost an arm…?**' Was one thought that seemed to go around in his head. He remembered other times when Kanda had lost limbs in fights, and though he was reassured by the fact that they always grew back thanks to his curse, he still worried. If he didn't see it for himself, then how could he verify it?_

_Not knowing wasn't a very pleasant feeling. Allen had felt it many times in his sixteen years, what with the ordeal about the Fourteenth and all, but this did not compare to that. Kanda had stood by him through that trial, up until there was no such thing as Neah Walker, and even after that, when they first fell into bed together. Kanda had stood by him. And now… Now he wasn't even sure if Kanda was alive. The man said that he had lost his arm, but nothing more than that. _

_He had decided it before, but now he would do anything and everything it took to get back to Kanda. He would get out, and he would bring Komui with him._

_The thoughts slowly wore at him, slowly exhausted him. Something was going to happen tomorrow, and he decided that no matter what, he would survive it._

_Again, he wasn't able to sleep for long. It felt longer than it had the first time, but it was still short and not nearly what his body needed to recover. Allen figured it was better than nothing at all, effectively stopping any stray thought that contained even the hint of a protest._

_The clanking of something hard bumping along the bars of the cells startled everyone, including Allen and Komui. A guard (that's what Allen decided to call them, as that seemed to be what they were doing in the first place) stepped along the walk-way, holding a stick or something of the like against the bars as he walked, causing the loud noise. He stopped in front of the cell that Allen and Komui were in. A wide Cheshire grin flashed across his face as he opened the cell door._

_They slowly stood and stepped out. They were led the way they came, Allen needing Komui's support to walk, but nonetheless delighted about not being dragged again. They were taken to the same room as before, the only difference being the absence of the man. And there was food on the table again._

_On the table was a note saying they could eat what they wanted, and that it was strongly advised that they do have something. _

_Signed by the King._

"'_King'?" Allen asked, looking toward Komui. The older man shrugged and reached for a branch of grapes. Allen sat down gingerly at the chair he was on the day before. His ribs hurt with even the smallest movement to his torso. It was probably from the jab he'd taken. He started by nibbling on an apple, slowly finishing it off before taking something else. He reached for an empty ornately decorated goblet. There was a pitcher beside it and he poured the ruby liquid into the cup. Smelling it, he vaguely noticed a floral scent, almost like grapes, if that made sense. And the underlying of something else that made Allen lose himself to his memories. Why did it remind him of Cross?_

_He cautiously took a swig, almost immediately spitting it out again. _

_Komui looked at him in concern. "Are you alright?"_

_Allen nodded and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "It's wine."_

_The older man immediately reached for it, pouring himself a glass. "Seriously?" Allen asked, frowning._

"_What?"_

"_Wine?"_

"_I think I'm allowed to indulge considering our situation."_

_Allen shrugged. "Indulge all you like. I just pictured you to be more of a brandy kind of person. Maybe whisky or scotch, but not wine." _

_Komui rolled his eyes. "And here I was thinking you to be an innocent sixteen year old."_

_Allen snorted. "Look who my master was and say that again with a straight face."_

_Komui smirked and swirled the wine in the goblet before taking a drink. "What would you peg Reever to drink? Or better yet, Bak."_

_Allen grinned, narrowing his eyes. "Well, Reever is definitely a whisky king of guy. He'll drink something lighter, for sure, but with those hard days and long nights with no sleep, he wouldn't settle for a fruity cocktail." He paused, taking a bit of the fresh bread he had just buttered. After swallowing he cleared his throat and continued. "Bak was trickier to figure out. He can be so erratic sometimes, just like you!"_

"_Hey! I beg to differ!"_

"_Beg all you want, it's still true." Allen countered, smiling sweetly. "Now, back to Bak. He seems like he could be a light-weight, but other times something stronger would be what he needs. So, maybe a Gin and Tonic would work."_

_Komui nodded. "I can see that. What about Kanda?"_

_Allen hesitated for a moment. "Kanda had a White Russian before, said it wasn't too bad. He also said it wasn't something he'd drink again. I think the cream made it too sweet. I remember one time when we were on a mission, the same one that Marie died on. We had a bit of a drinking game. After that night, he told me to stay away from Moonshine."_

"_Moonshine? I'm surprised Kanda had even touched anything with alcohol in the first place, but Moonshine?"_

_Allen nodded. "Yup. And if he tells me of all people to stay away, you can sure as hell bet that I did."_

_Komui eyed him. "You tried it that night, didn't you?"_

_Allen looked scandalized for a moment before sighing in defeat. "I should have listened." He shook his head. "But if I were to place on single drink on him, I'd have to say Black Magic."_

"_What's that?"_

"_Vodka, coffee liqueur, and lemon juice."_

"_Huh. Lavi?"_

_Allen snorted. "Anything and everything. He'd probably take a martini just to act like he has class. I can see him now, 'Shaken, not stirred.'"_

_He didn't know how long they talked, nor did he care. It was a good distraction and kept his mind busy and off what was to come. And come it did. It wasn't long after they had cleared the table of everything edible that a guard arrived and led them off. Any tension that had been released whilst they chatted returned immediately in almost double the amount. It made Allen's stomach churn and he had to fight to hold down his meal. Now wasn't the time to be getting sick. As they turned down a hall, they were greeted by the strong scent of death and blood. The hall was lined with bodies and people mourning over them. Most he recognized to be in the cells, but others he did not recognize. No one spared them a glance and Allen was glad. The smell and sounds were enough to make him lose himself, but if they had looked at him with eyes dead and filled with grief, he wouldn't be able to stand it._

_They stopped outside a door. "You're a doctor so you stay here. You," the guard talking gestured to Allen, "will come with me."_

_Allen gave Komui a weak smile as he was led further down the hall. Komui returned it with a sad nod. '**This won't be the last time we see each other…**' _

_They turned another hall and Allen could hear loud noises, yelling, banging. It was still far off so he couldn't determine what it was exactly, but he knew when people were cheering. Of what, well, he had a not-so vague idea…_

_They turned another corner down a dark hall. At the end was a white light. It was small, only the size of Timcanpy, at best, but it slowly grew larger and brighter the closer they walked. He heard speaking, but it was jumbled, the echo in the tunnel making the words disjointed and unintelligible. _

_When they were finally close enough to hear, all Allen could hear was his name. He perked up, narrowing his eyes as he tried to make out the words. He stepped into the light, ushered along by the guard, who stayed in the tunnel. He raised his hand to shield his eyes before opening them to a stadium. Blinking, he looked around in alarm. _

_It was like an old Greek coliseum, round with bleacher-seats surrounding the center. It had a closed roof, lit by low-hanging torches and the like. It had the whole place in shadows and made it hard to see. He glanced back, seeing a bright, florescent light facing the tunnel-way. _

'_**And the point of that is…?**' Allen thought bitterly before once more facing the arena. He hadn't noticed before, but standing on the opposite side of the large field was another person, a man. He seemed just as confused. Allen recognized him from the cells. But now the pieces were falling into place._

_The cells and all the people._

_The hallways lined with bodies and the ones weeping over them._

_The arena and the people cheering._

_And now this. He felt bile rising in his throat, his stomach churning. He fought to keep it down for what seemed like the billionth time since he arrived here. He felt his body lurch forward and stumbled, momentarily overcome by the fever he'd been trying to ignore. He took a deep breath, instantly regretting it as it pained his sides. _

_He heard a roaring sound and looked up, seeing a ring of flames encircle the field, cutting off any potential escape through the tunnels. It seems to heat the air, filling the enclosed space with the horrid stench of…something. He frowned. He knew this scent. It was similar to the people around here when they had attacked his home, but wasn't quite the same. The scent filled his nose, suffocating him and making it harder to think than it already was. He struggled to think straight and identify it, but no matter what, it eluded him, the answer dangling itself right outside his reach._

_A booming laugh filled the air and he jumped, whipping around and looking up to an overhanging balcony, where a familiar figure sat. He glared icily, left hand clenched into a fist, the break in his right one making it painful to even twitch._

"_I'm sure you're both wondering why you are here, so I shall tell you!" The man yelled to them, allowing the whole arena to hear. The crowd quieted down, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. "The reason you are here, is to be sacrifices to the gods! And to me! You are here for their entertainment, as well as mine._

"_You are here to kill each other!"_

_The crowd erupted in a frenzy of cheers and calls. Allen slowly turned to stare in horror at the man across from him._

"_I should also add," Allen looked back, "that if you ever want to leave here alive and get back to your families, then you fight. Now entertain us!"_

_As Allen was turning, he felt something crash into him, tackling him to the ground. Before he could react, large hands wound around his neck, tight and completely cutting off his breathing. He choked, flailing to get away but the man was too heavy. He looked him in the eyes, finding them filled with desperation and insanity. _

"_I will get home to my family… no matter what… you have to die… YOU HAVE TO DIE SO DIE ALREADY!"_

_His vision began to go black, spots beginning to dot around his sight, slowly expanding until almost nothing was left. His lungs screamed, demanding air and his heart pounded in his chest._

'_**Family, huh?**' Allen thought bitterly, an image of Mana drifting across his vision. _

_Family…_

_Family…_

_Family…_

_Slowly, thoughts of his home at the Order surfaced. '**Lavi, Lenalee, Komui, Johnny, Miranda… Everyone. Even Cross. They're my family…**_

'_**And Kanda.**' He remembered what the man said about Kanda being alive. He was alive. That meant that Allen had to return to him._

_With the last bit of his strength, he kicked the man on top of him, sending him over his shoulder. Choking on the air as he hauled it in, he rolled to his feet, ignoring the tearing of his throat as he coughed. His side screamed at him to stop moving but he ignored that as well. The man jumped to his feet and Allen attacked, piercing his gut with his newly activated Innocence. He felt wetness on his cheeks and knew what it was. He bit back a sob, chest heaving from the force of it._

"_I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" He whispered as the man made gurgling sounds, decorating his cloak in starbursts of crimson and scarlet. The man fell, landing on his back with a crunching noise. His head hit the hard sand floor, cracking open and setting a bloody halo behind him as he died. He glared at Allen until finally, his eyes went dim._

_The bile rose in his throat once more and this time, it refused to be stopped. Falling to his knees, Allen retched until his stomach was empty, until there wasn't even acid. He heard footsteps and looked up, wiping his mouth. The man who called himself king was standing before him, grinning gleefully. Behind him, Allen watched as other people grabbed the dead man's body and dragged it to the flames._

_That's what the scent was. Burning flesh._

_._

_._

_._

_._

Kanda stared lazily at the ceiling, waiting for when his new stalkers told him it was time. He wasn't naïve, he knew what he had to do. And he would do it because he had to. And he was going to get Mugen back if he won. Bad idea on the part of everyone here, but he didn't care about them.

Finally, the curtain divider was pulled back, the guards standing there, waiting. He sighed and sat up before swinging his legs off the bed. "Well it's about fucking time. You guys are slow."

"Don't be in such a rush, pretty lady, you'll-"

Kanda swiftly cut him off, his fist hitting his nose with a satisfying crunch.

"-wish you had more time later." The other guard finished, looking at his partner in what Kanda could only call amusement.

"The sooner this is done, the better. Why the fuck would I want to hang around this dump?" Kanda growled, stepping past where Komui usually sat. How nice of him to stop by and give him a proper sentimental send-off like he wasn't coming back. The thought made him snort in amusement. The guards composed themselves, though the one Kanda had hit now had blood flowing in a steady stream down his face.

They led him down a hall lined with people. He ignored them and the stench of blood and just kept walking. It only confirmed what he already knew. The hallway they walked turned dark, a small light at the end of the tunnel. Kanda almost wanted to laugh. The white light was only supposed to be there _after_ someone died, not before they walked to their death. Fucktards.

When they reached the end, one of them handed him his sword, though he didn't know where they pulled it from. He took it gladly and they ushered him on and stayed back. He kept his eyes straight ahead and kept walking as if it were nothing. At one point, he happened to look down and spotted a slight groove in the floor. Upon closer inspection, he found it to be filled with oil.

"Tch."

Stepping over it, he continued into what appeared to be a coliseum. How shocking. Across the sandy field, he saw a large man step onto the field. He looked like he could be a sailor or a fisherman, if his build was anything to go by. He would probably use his strength as his advantage. Kanda would have to stay out of his hold. Something told him that he should keep his healing ability secret for the time being, at least until he really needed it.

"Good evening, you two."

Kanda looked behind him, up at a balcony that overhung the field. The white-haired brat from earlier was there, leisurely leaning against the railing.

"As our beloved king couldn't grace us with his presence for today, I will be overseeing this battle. Yes, it is a battle. One to the death as entertainment for the gods! Fight hard if you want to return to your families, because this will be a battle for your lives. Have fun!"

He was tempted to throw his sword at him, but he had just got it back and Kanda wasn't keen on letting it go for a while. He turned his attention back to the man on the field with him. He had this desperate look on his face and began backing away. He turned and burst into a full run toward the tunnel ha came from. Kanda watched him go, just blinking. He didn't care if he had to fight. He only cared about finding his Moyashi. And he knew he was going to find him. He just had to survive until that happened. It wasn't going to be much of a chore.

Before the man could escape, flames roared to life, trapping them inside the field. The man lurched to a stop before stumbling back, falling. He scrambled away from the flames and Kanda watched as it blocked his own tunnel as well. He was right. It was oil. Frowning, he returned his attention to the man. He slowly stood before facing Kanda, a funny look in his eye.

Kanda clucked his tongue. '_Desperation. The poor bastard has lost his mind._'

He ran at Kanda like a bull, head forward and arms outstretched. He waited until he was close before stepping out of the way and hitting his back with his sheathed sword. Staring with unblinking eyes, Kanda watched as he stumbled before going after him again. He repeated the same move. The man then lunged, arms outstretched to stop him from stepping aside. Ducking under them, Kanda drew his sword, and in one swift motion, cut from his left hip to his right shoulder. He was rewarded with a spray of blood. The man writhed on the ground. Stepping up to his side, Kanda whispered a quick, cold apology before stabbing his back and twisting the blade, snapping his spine. The man stopped moving and Kanda could hear the faint sound of his final breath falling from his lips. The crowd that Kanda refused to acknowledge erupted in applause. He just stepped back and wiped his blade on his sleeve before sheathing it.

Steps behind him alerted him to another's presence and he turned, glaring hard at the brat. Two other's stepped around them and took the bloody body, rolling him into the flames. Kanda didn't watch them do it, just kept glaring at the smirking brat.

"You know, when _he_ came through here, he threw up all over the floor. I'm surprised you aren't when you're both from the same place." He said, his tone mocking and Kanda knew he was trying to get a rise out of him. He wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"He's different than I am." Was all he said and he began to walk toward the tunnel where he'd come out of. The flames were quickly being doused, the room getting unbearably hot as it was turned into a sauna. He stepped through the tunnel and passed the guards.

"It's why I love him." He muttered to himself.

**So what did you think? Love it, hate it, want to strangle me with a phone cord for one reason or another? If yes then please explain why.**

**Anyone who reads this and In the Light of the Full Moon, guess what? I'll be updating it soon! Yup! Just working on the Lucky parts because how they get along determines when Allen and Kanda will reunite. Cross your fingers!**

**Anyway, review please!**


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